Saturday, March 13, 2010

Ahh, the movie soundtrack music video. Half music video, half movie trailer. For the most part, these songs and music videos disappear into the commercial music graveyard. Sometimes with good reason.

This video is no different. It is confused. The music video has the surreal symbolism that is present in many 90's music videos. The scene with John Wozniak painting random sketched on a wall with a Chinese calligraphy brush feels like a 80's goth band video using black and white and shadows, but then cut to Reese Witherspoon in sunglasses?

"Comin Up From Behind" was originally released on their second album, but then released as a single the the cultish teen thiriller "Cruel Intentions." The movie starred Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillipe as rich social lights having sex and then stabbing each other in the back. It was The Hills of the late 90's, except it didn't pretend to be reality. The video is trying to good and mesh with the movie, but as it usually goes, it fails on both ends.

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Like Weezer, Marcy Playground's second album was a more grown-up, more personal album that never matched up the success of the first. Their song/video "Sex and Candy" etched their name into 90's music history, but the rest of their music was a little too weird and off the cuff to really remain music stars.

The second album was called "Shapeshiter" and was much more diverse and experimental than their self-titled album. The first single off of the album called "Its Saturday" had a yodeling chorus, and it wasn't the best pick for a single. The album has the feel of a mid 2000 indie release. Perhaps it was just a little ahead of its time.

"Comin' Up From Behind" is also on "Shapeshifter." It has a feel that connects back to a style of music from the past that I just can't grasp. The odd, dissonant bass that drives the song reminds me of a couple Tom Waits songs, but there is something else there. Does anyone else here it?